GOP Senator Aims To Keep Hemp THC Product Ban On Track For November With New Amendment

Key Points:

• Republican Senator Ted Budd plans to file an amendment to remove provisions delaying the federal ban on hemp THC products, aiming to enforce the scheduled recriminalization in November as outlined in recent legislation.
• The 2018 Farm Bill legalized hemp derivatives with less than 0.3% delta-9 THC, but new legislation signed last year redefines hemp, allowing only products with 0.4 milligrams of total THC per container to remain legal after November 12.
• Senate Appropriations Committee leaders proposed a continuing resolution delaying the hemp product ban until December 11, though synthetic cannabinoids not naturally produced by Cannabis sativa will be banned starting November 12; Budd opposes this delay citing public safety concerns.
• Industry groups like the Beverage Alcohol Merchants Coalition support delaying the ban to establish a federal regulatory framework for hemp-derived THC beverages, while some lawmakers from both parties have introduced bills seeking to regulate rather than prohibit these products.
• Former President Donald Trump and White House officials have urged Congress to update hemp laws to avoid recriminalization of full-spectrum CBD products, highlighting the benefits for consumers and farmers, and have backed legislation proposing regulated access to hemp-derived cannabinoids.